Posts tagged pan-africanism

Bob Marley died more than three decades ago, yet he is still a strong cultural and musical influence. We explore why the singer affects millions of people across the world to this day.

The debate has been raging for the past eight years: Which African leader was the greater pioneer of Pan-Africanism – Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah or monarch and semi-deity Emperor Haile Selassie? Finally, both have been honoured with commemorative statues at the headquarters of the African Union.

A conference in Accra, Ghana, revisited the 1958 All African People’s Conference, under the banner of “The Unfinished Business of Liberation and Transformation”. The legendary convenor of that first conference, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, famously said, “The objective is African Union. We must unite now or perish.” Yaw Adjei-Gyamfi considers how far we have journeyed towards the economic independence of Africa.

Yaw Adjei-Gyamfi explores the links between Emperor Haile Selassie and Rastafarians and considers why he remains a source of inspiration for Rastas all over the world.

Afro-centricity, a feature of Pan-Africanism presents Africa with a remedy to the effects of Euro-centrism. It’s time Africans recognized the importance of viewing issues from the African perspective in order to reap the full benefits Afro-centricity offers.

Kwame Nkrumah remained committed to the fight against capitalism and its effect: the underdevelopment of Africa. On the occasion of the commemoration of his 109th birthday, we should revisit his call for a united continent, says Adjei-Gyamfi Yaw.

This generation should place economic independence at the centre of its vision for the continent, says Blessing Vava

It is crucial that we increase women’s participation in political and decision-making structures, from grassroots level and up, says Blessing Vava.

Recent xenophobic and Afrophobic utterances by Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu, two of the leading figures in South Africa’s EFF party, fly in the face of Africanism and ubuntu, says Blessing Vava.

In partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, This is Africa explores the changing meaning of icons and which African leaders qualify as icons.